Oh my goodness. Do you know what I got when I got my new Betz White book? Warm Fuzzies; both metaphorically, because this book is the best, and literally. Warm Fuzzies is one of the coolest new books I have seen (other than Crafter Culture of course). First of all, Betz White is a really cool chick. You should surely check out her blog, of which I regularly stalk along with my early morning coffee and blog-reading ritual. She is witty, up-beat, and eternally carefree as she moves along in her busy life of kids, business, and artfulness. To prove how artful this book is, I have even thought about our other wonderful critics, and thought I might offer some of you some inspiration to find peace and get crafty through the world of feltyness:

• Granola girl - You will be happy to know that these projects are encouraged to come from recycled materials, such as old wool sweaters. What better way to help the cause of clean food than to reduce waste?
• Womanyst - The basic instructions on felt constructions could surely be applied to a nice felted set of ovaries or other female-specific genitalia
• Mr. Kriticle - I think you would be pleased by the organized implementation of each project.
• Tech nerd - You would just love the possibilities of many tech gadget cozies made of felt. LOL, LMAO, TTYL.
• Mad Critic - Hmmm…there is something very sinisterly pleasing about my mental pictures of you meticulously hand-sewing a bed for your beloved Westminster acclaimed canine, while subsequently cussing at your thread in Latin.
• Pornstar - Every great girl needs a great bag, you should try one of the adorable totes. Take a little time out for yourself and sew.

I plan on making one of the super-easy pins first to get used to the felt technique, and you just know I’ll have to make a cute bag for my little girl next. In fact, instead of using a sewing machine, most of the projects are diverse enough that you could hand sew instead of using the machine and let the kiddies get in there to make their very own hat, gloves, or purse. This F+W publisher isn’t too bad either. After doing some digging on publishing a craft book (wouldn’t this be the ultimate for an artist? A girl can dream…), I found some of their other books. Here are a few that caught my eye:

• The Art of Personal Imagery: Expressing Your Life Through Collage - After all, the whole point of art is to have time to look within and be uninhibited in expression
• Nuno Nouveau: Fashionable Felt for Accessories and Home Decor – Though I haven’t gotten my hands on it yet, I hear Nuno felt is the cool new fiber art. I first heard about it on one of the first blogs that I stalked, Heal My Life. The author of this blog used these techniques to make awesome bags, but I have seen beautiful scarves and such too!
• Kaleidoscope: Ideas And Projects to Spark Your Creativity – Another one I have seen on several crafty-art blogs! Great price, and another way to delve into the artful person who resides inside of you.

In the midst of children, husband, and a house, I have found solace. It comes in the form of a book, and it is wonderful. It is…drum roll please… The Crafter Culture Handbook by Amy Spencer! I cannot believe how jam-packed this book is with awesome crafts, tips for making money, and inspiration text about the need for local shopping and recycling for sustainability. The The Crafter Culture Handbook is a perfect companion to Amy Spencer’s subsequent book, DIY: The Rise Of Lo-Fi Culture, which highlights the rise of underground music producing and such.

The cool thing about The Crafter Culture Handbook is that there is something for everyone. It covers everything from crochet to tech crafts, all in the spirit of using old to make beautiful new. Actually, here are the categories for your perusal:

• Needlecraft
• Vintage
• Electronics
• Spa and beauty
• Home decor
• Knitting
• Paper and ink

I mean seriously, if you have ever had the itch to make handmade, you will find plenty to work in here. Take the techie section for example. There is a project to use a vintage typewriter to create a one of a kind keyboard for you home computer for crying out loud! I’d buy the book just for that! Not to mention the t-shirt deconstruction, no-machine sewing projects, bags, jewelry; you name it. All of the projects are beautifully made with amazing colors and chic twists on girly-vintage goods.

True to it’s political-social protests through craft, Amy Spencer compiled this book with the same grassroots ethos. Through a post on the great online zine, Make:, you can see how the book is simply a compilation of like-minded enviro-crafters. In fact, if you need a comparison, The Crafter Culture Handbook is as eclectic as the Make: sister zine, Craft:.

Anywho, I have little bookmarks all over the book for gift and house ideas, as well as a couple projects perfect for crafting with the kiddies. At such a decent price for all of the projects and inspiration, you might as well check out the book. Whether its for the craft, the environmentalism, the writing, or the profiles of other artists, you can’t go wrong with The Crafter Culture Handbook.